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Authors: Fern Michaels

BOOK: Deadline
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“Anything else, girls?” Sophie asked, as though it was something she did on a daily basis.
Mavis shook her head, and Ida rolled her eyes, saying, “I know I'll hear about this for the next fifty years.”
“Only if you live long enough,” Sophie added, smiling.
“That's it?” Mavis asked. “I thought there was more to the procedure.”
“If there is, I'm not aware of it. And something tells me your stiff doesn't care whether there is or not, either,” Sophie had to add.
“That's enough of your filth, Sophie. We have a job to do. You're welcome to stay and watch; otherwise, shut up and sit down,” Ida said in an authoritative tone.
“This is your and Mavis's gig. I'll sit, thankyouverymuch.” Sophie plopped herself down on the boxes in the corner while Mavis and Ida went to work.
Two hours later, the rope marks on Mr. Frank's neck were hidden and his
issue
was neatly tucked away in an adult diaper. He wore one of the suits from Mavis's Drop-Dead Gorgeous line of clothing. Ida's skill with makeup was undeniable, and the suit looked as though it had been custom-made for him.
No doubt about it, Mavis and Ida had found their niche.
Chapter 15
“
M
om, you look like you've seen a ghost,” Abby said. “Oops, forget I even said that; of course you have seen a ghost. More than once. You look terrible!”
Toots's mind was whirling with possibilities. She needed a minute to put them together. She pulled her chair out from beneath the kitchen table and sat down. “Abby, get me a glass of water, please.”
Abby did as requested. “I heard a phone ringing, not your usual ring tone, Mom. What's going on?”
Toots didn't dare tell Abby about her private cell phone, fearing she'd give away her identity as owner of
The Informer.
So, not liking it, but knowing she had to keep the charade up a little while longer, she said, “I changed the ringer. I was sick of that old ‘Take me out to the ball game' tune. I don't even like baseball. It made no sense to have that tune anyway—”
“Mom, you're blabbering. Stop, okay?” Abby placed a tall glass of ice water on the place mat in front of her mother.
Toots took a drink of water. “Yes, well mothers do that sometimes.”
“Maybe other moms, but not you. Are you going to tell me what's going on? Or do you want me to have Goebel resort to other means of torture?”
Goebel kept quiet for a few minutes, allowing them to talk without interrupting. He smiled at Abby when she mentioned his name. “Not something I would do,” he chimed in.
“Please, I get enough verbal torture from Sophie,” Toots informed them with a smile.
“She's got a mouth on her, that's for sure,” Goebel said. “She's one heck of a gal, that Sophie.”
Toots glanced at him. Yep, he was smitten. Big-time.
Good for them
, she thought. She just hoped Sophie was ready for a real man, one who'd treat her the way she deserved to be treated.
“Mom, are you okay?” Abby asked a second time.
Toots returned her focus to the here and now. “Yes, I'm just distracted, that's all.”
“I can tell. So spit it out, Mom. Tell me what that phone call was all about. I know that's what has you in such a ...
flutter.
” Abby said the last word hesitantly.
Clearing her throat, then taking another sip of water, Toots knew she'd put off telling Abby and Goebel long enough. Why she felt the need to keep the call private, she didn't know, considering that half of LA was looking for Chris. She'd think of this as a good sign, the call coming to her. Meant Chris knew whom to call for help.
“I'm sure that was Chris calling.” Toots looked at her daughter, whose eyes sparkled at the mention of his name.
Abby sat down in the chair across from her. Goebel leaned in closer.
“It was his cell number that showed up on the caller ID.” Toots hated to tell Abby and Goebel about her phone's battery, but she had to.
It speaks volumes about my priorities,
she thought. “I haven't charged my phone for a few days, so the call was dropped.” She waited for a reaction. When she didn't get one, she continued. “Chris's number came up, but there wasn't a message or anything.” There, she'd said it, and now all they had to do was figure out where the phone call was placed from.
“You're sure it was Chris?” Abby asked in her reporter's voice.
“Unless someone else has his phone. It was his number.”
“Let me see your phone,” Abby said.
Just as Toots had expected, Abby wanted proof.
Toots hated to resort to such actions, but again, she reminded herself she didn't have much choice. “Do you think I don't recognize Chris's number? Good grief, Abby! I am not senile yet. I don't have to prove this. I can't believe you would even suggest such a thing.” Toots was trying to appear indignant at her daughter's suggestion.
Abby rolled her eyes. “Of course you're not senile, Mom. I didn't mean to imply that you were. Go on, tell me what you were about to.”
Toots took another drink of water. “That's it, Abby. There isn't anything else to tell. I heard the phone ringing, didn't get to it in time, and when I finally answered the phone, it went dead. End of story.”
Goebel spoke up. “This is good. We can track down where the call was made through the pings in the towers and, hopefully, this will lead us to Chris. I have contacts, you know. Toots, let me have his number, and I'll get on it right away.”
She recited Chris's number from memory. “Is that the same number you have?” Toots asked her daughter.
“Yes,” Abby replied.
“Then let's allow Goebel to do his stuff, okay?”
Abby nodded. “Sure, Mom, but don't try to act like you're telling me everything because I know you too well. I'll leave it alone for now, but later, you and I are going to have a talk, okay?” she admonished.
Toots wanted to spill the beans right there on the spot. She was not good at this ... lying-to-her-daughter garbage. She could hide behind e-mails and FedEx letters until the cows came home, but lying face-to-face was a different matter entirely.
She would have to reveal that she was the face and fortune behind
The Informer,
eventually. Toots hoped when Abby knew the truth, enough time would have passed that her daughter would forgive her the lies she'd told. But that was for another time. She had to focus on doing whatever she could to help locate Chris before the press, especially one silicone-enhanced, lip-glossed Chloe Brown, destroyed him.
Wanting to say more but knowing it wasn't the time, Toots nodded in agreement. “When Chris is home safe and sound, we'll talk.”
“You promise?” Abby asked, knowing Toots never broke a promise.
“I promise. Now let's focus on finding Chris. The sooner we locate him, the sooner we can have that talk.” Again, Toots had the sudden urge to spill her guts right then and there, but didn't.
Soon,
she thought,
soon.
She'd been the puppeteer longer than she'd originally planned. It really was time to step out from behind the curtain.
While all this was going on, Goebel had been busy punching in info on his laptop and talking on his cell phone. He placed his hand over the speaker. “It won't take long to get the results. Told my buddy this was a life-or-death matter.”
“Maybe you could come to work for me,” Abby joked.
Goebel clicked off the phone and hit a few keys on his laptop before answering. “I'm too old to start a new career, but thanks. You ever need a background check or anything like that, you call me, okay?”
“Thanks, we have a guru at the paper who takes care of that type of thing, but if he's unable to make a connection in the future, I may take you up on that offer.” Then, Abby reconsidered his offer. “Actually, there is something you could do for me, and I'll pay you for this myself. I've been secretly trying to find out who the mysterious name is behind
The Informer.
I've used every resource I have and I always come up empty. And I'd like to find that SOB who left me holding the bag, my former boss at the paper. Maybe after we locate Chris, you could help me locate the person who signs my paycheck.”
Toots's heart rate shot up so fast, she thought she would faint. She grabbed the glass in front of her, drank the last of the water, then chomped on an ice cube. Her hands were shaking so badly, she put them under her legs so neither Abby nor Goebel would see them. She hoped Abby wouldn't notice the change. Toots knew there would be no getting around telling Abby now. Goebel was good, and Abby knew that. If he failed to locate the “mysterious” new owner, and the former owner, Rodwell Archibald Godfrey, known as Rag to his former employees
,
her daughter would become even more suspicious. Toots knew full well her days were numbered. Soon, she would have to tell Abby her big secret and hope for the best.
Goebel cast a quick glance at Toots. He raised his eyebrows when she shot him a killer look. “Uh, sure. Just let me know when you're ready.”
Toots would discuss the problem with Goebel later.
“I will,” Abby said, before turning to stare at Toots. “Mother, is there something wrong? Why do I have the sneaking feeling you know something I don't? Did you speak to Chris? Is he married? Did he run off with that stupid actress? Because if he did, you can tell me. I don't really give a good rat's ass what he does anymore. For that matter, he can stay wherever the hell he's been hiding for the past four days.
Idonotcare!
”
Toots smiled. Abby had it
bad
—real bad. “No I truly didn't speak with Chris.”
At least that was the truth.
“Well, don't tell me if you do. I hate him, okay?” Abby pushed her chair away from the table and stomped out to the deck. Chester and Coco shot out the door behind her. Toots was glad, as she wanted a few minutes alone with Goebel.
“I know what you're going to say, and you don't even have to say it, okay? Let's just say if I were to search”—he made air quotes with his large hands—“it might take me a while to locate such a huge corporation. All that corporate red tape.”
Toots breathed a sigh of relief. A temporary sigh of relief, but for now, she'd take it.
“Of course. I understand,” Toots agreed. Soon very soon, she'd come clean.
Abby stepped back inside, ending any further conversation. Chester and Coco panted at her heels and ran to the refrigerator.
“Okay, I know I promised you both a treat. Give me a sec, all right?” Opening the refrigerator, Abby quickly located Coco's supply of turkey breasts and pinched off small pieces for the couple and dropped them in their doggie dishes. Both dogs hightailed across the room to their bowls. “You two are so spoiled.”
Toots waited patiently while Abby took care of the animals' needs. She needed to address the comments Abby had made about Chris.
After Abby rinsed her greasy hands, she sat down across from Toots. “Okay, go ahead, read me the riot act. I know that look on your face.”
Goebel chose that moment to speak up. “I think I'm going to take a stroll. I don't get to see moonlight and beaches too often in my neck of the woods. You ladies mind?”
Both shook their heads.
“By all means,” Toots said. “Just make sure you take your shoes off. Get the feel of the sand and all.”
“Absolutely.” Goebel winked at Toots.
She knew he was simply giving her and Abby a bit of privacy. He really was a gentleman. She would put in a few good words for him with Sophie. Not that he needed them, but it certainly couldn't hurt.
As soon as he escaped through the sliding doors, Toots spoke. “Abby, I know you didn't mean all those things you said about Chris. I know you're angry at him, and that's understandable. We both know Chris wouldn't purposely cause either of us to worry. And I know he's not the kind of man that would ... shack up with one of those silly starlets he represents. He is a man of integrity, just like his father. I know you have strong feelings for him, Abby. If you didn't, you wouldn't have said those things.” Toots paused for a few seconds, trying desperately to find the right words to say even though she wasn't one hundred percent clear on what it was she hoped to convey to her daughter.
“Why are you telling me this, Mom? What's your point?” Abby asked, her voice laced with impatience.
“Abby Simpson, I cannot believe you're talking to me this way! I swear you have it bad. That's what I wanted to talk to you about.”
It is,
Toots thought.
“I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I'm tired, and yes, you're right. I am worried about Chris.”
Toots leaned across the table and took Abby's hand in hers. “It's normal to worry about the man you love.”
Abby stared at Toots, her face turning ten shades of red. “I'm worried about ... his safety.” She paused as though she were considering what she'd just said.
“Yes, that's it really. I just hope he isn't hurt. That's all. Yes, I care about Chris, but I don't think I am madly in love with him.”
Toots chuckled. “Of course you are. I see the way you look at him when you think no one is noticing. You have a glow about you, a special look. That's the look of love. I'm quite familiar with it.”
Abby laughed. “Yes, I suppose you are. But Mom, please let's not talk about Chris and me, you know, as a couple. I'm simply concerned for his safety. Let's leave it at that.”
Toots knew when to shut up. And it just happened to be one of those times. Abby was right. Chris's safety was their main concern.

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